diff --git a/dev-utils/_windows/msys/msys.py b/dev-utils/_windows/msys/msys.py
index f30cfd65..1c310def 100644
--- a/dev-utils/_windows/msys/msys.py
+++ b/dev-utils/_windows/msys/msys.py
@@ -1,108 +1,112 @@
 import io
 
 import info
 import shells
 
 from CraftOS.osutils import OsUtils
 
 from Package.MaybeVirtualPackageBase import *
 
 
 class subinfo(info.infoclass):
     def setTargets(self):
         #as updates are applied with msys and not by craft don't ever change the name of the target, its a bad idea...
         self.targets["base"] = f"https://github.com/msys2/msys2-installer/releases/download/2020-05-22/msys2-base-x86_64-20200522.tar.xz"
         self.targetInstSrc["base"] = "msys64"
         self.targetInstallPath["base"] = "msys"
         self.targetDigests["base"] =  (['deec23a772774d874b557bcc5dfb2a8a115224fb6a919f19062af108b6bf4735'], CraftHash.HashAlgorithm.SHA256)
 
         self.defaultTarget = "base"
 
     def setDependencies(self):
         self.runtimeDependencies["virtual/bin-base"] = None
         self.runtimeDependencies["dev-utils/python3"] = None
 
     def msysInstallShim(self, installDir):
         return utils.createShim(os.path.join(installDir, "dev-utils", "bin", "msys.exe"),
                                 os.path.join(installDir, "dev-utils", "bin", "python3.exe"),
                                 args=[os.path.join(CraftStandardDirs.craftBin(), "shells.py")])
 
     def updateMsys(self):
         msysDir = CraftCore.settings.get("Paths", "Msys", os.path.join(CraftStandardDirs.craftRoot(), "msys"))
         shell = shells.BashShell()
         useOverwrite = CraftCore.cache.checkCommandOutputFor(os.path.join(msysDir, "usr/bin", "pacman.exe"), "--overwrite", "-Sh")
 
         # force was replace by overwrite
         overwrite = "--overwrite='*'" if useOverwrite else "--force"
 
         def stopProcesses():
             return OsUtils.killProcess("*", msysDir)
 
         def queryForUpdate():
             out = io.BytesIO()
             if not shell.execute(".", "pacman", f"-Sy --noconfirm {overwrite}"):
                 raise Exception()
             shell.execute(".", "pacman", "-Qu --noconfirm", stdout=out, stderr=subprocess.PIPE)
             out = out.getvalue()
             return out != b""
 
         # start and restart msys before first use
         if not (shell.execute(".", "echo", "Init update") and
                 stopProcesses() and
                 shell.execute(".", "pacman-key", "--init") and
                 shell.execute(".", "pacman-key", "--populate")):
             return False
 
         try:
-            while queryForUpdate():
-                if not (shell.execute(".", "pacman", f"-Su --noconfirm {overwrite} --ask 20") and
-                        stopProcesses()):
+            # max 10 tries
+            for _ in range(10):
+                if not queryForUpdate():
+                    break
+                # might return 1 on core updates...
+                shell.execute(".", "pacman", f"-Su --noconfirm {overwrite} --ask 20")
+                if not stopProcesses():
                     return False
         except Exception as e:
             CraftCore.log.error(e, exc_info=e)
             return False
         if not (shell.execute(".", "pacman", f"-S base-devel msys/binutils --noconfirm {overwrite} --needed") and
                 stopProcesses()):
             return False
         return utils.system("autorebase.bat", cwd=msysDir)
 
 
 from Package.BinaryPackageBase import *
 
 
 class MsysPackage(BinaryPackageBase):
     def __init__(self):
         BinaryPackageBase.__init__(self)
 
     def postInstall(self):
         return self.subinfo.msysInstallShim(self.imageDir())
 
     def postQmerge(self):
         return self.subinfo.updateMsys()
 
 class VirtualPackage(VirtualPackageBase):
     def __init__(self):
         VirtualPackageBase.__init__(self)
 
     def install(self):
         if not VirtualPackageBase.install(self):
             return False
         return self.subinfo.msysInstallShim(self.imageDir()) and self.subinfo.updateMsys()
 
     def qmerge(self):
         if self.package.isInstalled:
             return True
         return super().qmerge()
 
 class Package(MaybeVirtualPackageBase):
     def __init__(self):
         useExternalMsys = ("Paths", "Msys") not in CraftCore.settings
         self.skipCondition = useExternalMsys and not CraftPackageObject.get("dev-utils/msys").isInstalled
         MaybeVirtualPackageBase.__init__(self, condition=self.skipCondition, classA=MsysPackage, classB=VirtualPackage)
         if not useExternalMsys:
             # override the install method
             def install():
                 CraftCore.log.info(f"Using manually installed msys {CraftStandardDirs.msysDir()}")
                 return self.baseClass.install(self)
 
             setattr(self, "install", install)